IIT-Guwahati workshop explores ways to strengthen mental health support on campuses

A two-day workshop on positive mental health, resilience and wellbeing in higher education institutions concluded at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, on Monday, September 21, with participants discussing ways to strengthen institutional support systems for students.

More than 100 participants from 28 higher education institutions across the Northeast and Delhi took part in the workshop, according to an official statement.

The ‘Regional Capacity Building Workshop on Positive Mental Health, Resilience and Wellbeing’ was organised under the Teacher Connect Programme of the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme (MMTTP) of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

Faculty members, institutional leaders, hostel wardens, student welfare and hostel management officers, counsellors and student representatives participated in the programme.

The workshop focused on developing coordinated approaches to student wellbeing and providing participants with practical insights into strengthening mental health initiatives at the institutional level.

Speaking at the event, IIT-Guwahati director Devendra Jalihal highlighted concerns around mental health among young people and said there was a need to understand the underlying causes rather than respond only after a tragedy.

Department of Higher Education director Devendra Kumar said enrolment in tertiary education institutions had increased, particularly after 2011, reflecting growing aspirations and competition among young people.

Jitendra Nagpal, director-in-charge of the Institute of Mental Health and Life Skills Promotion, New Delhi, and director of Expression India, said the workshop aimed to enable participants to return to their institutions as agents of change.

Sessions drew on experiences and practices from institutions including IIT-Guwahati and IIT-Madras. Participants discussed institutional policies, support systems, resilience and coping mechanisms, social connectedness and ways to create supportive campus environments.

More than 20 resource persons, including mental health professionals, doctors, counsellors, academicians and institutional experts, contributed to the programme.

The workshop was part of a series of five capacity-building programmes being organised by the Department of Higher Education. Two workshops have already been held at IIT-Madras and IIT-Indore, while IIT-Bhubaneswar and IIT-Jammu are scheduled to host the remaining programmes.